Cheryn Moore, an Atlanta-based stylist and costume designer, pivoted from pursuing medical sociology and public health after styling a last-minute shoot in a friend’s basement. Since then, she has worked in costume design on the sets of TV shows and indie horror films, with a focus on sci-fi, horror, and period pieces. But there were no shocks or scares on the set of Dazed Maxx’s Atlanta cover story with Bijan Robinson, the Atlanta Falcons running back, and the Cascade Dream Team Skaters. The collaborative cover, shot by photographer Anthony Hilliard, took place at the Cascade Skating Rink – combining impressive moves with a good time and, of course, playful outfits. 

Dazed Maxx is the first-ever US edition and first-ever sports-focused edition of Dazed. Inside the special issue, three athletes at the top of their fields join us as cultural editors: Robinson; Sunny Choi, an Olympic breakdancer; and Tobey McIntosh, the mastermind behind Crenshaw Skate Club. The athletes-turned-cultural editors guide us through the sports subcultures bubbling across New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta, crafting experiments that explore the future of sport through Nike’s new AirImagination platform. 

Ahead, Moore talks about making sportswear editorial, last-minute outfit changes, honouring the city’s creative scene and styling the new Nike Dn8 shoes on the set of Dazed Maxx’s experimental Atlanta cover story.

Tell me about how you got into styling and costume design! What was your relationship to fashion growing up?

Cheryn Moore: I started styling friends’ photo shoots in 2018 or 2019. I was always into clothes – my parents took me shopping a lot as a kid. They really love clothes too. I never studied it in school; I was pursuing medical sociology and public health, actually. But one day, a close friend of mine and I were working a shift together, and she asked me to style her shoot later that night. It was really impromptu: I rushed home after I closed to just grab a bunch of stuff, then went. It was in another friend’s basement, and we didn’t finish until 2am. We all had so much fun. That, I believe, was the start of my styling journey and made me love making something out of nothing. 

What about your relationship with sports? 

Cheryn Moore: When I was younger, I hopped from sport to sport. Gotta love supportive parents. Let me list them: I danced with a troupe and I still miss it, played basketball but hated how I kept jamming my fingers, went to cheer camp one time, gymnastics and soccer. Eventually, I landed on volleyball and have been obsessed ever since. I literally always want to play. I played in high school for my school team and a travel club team. I played a little in college, and now I'm on an adult league team with some friends. I only ever want to watch volleyball games.

Dazed Maxx is all about sports subculture clashes and community. How did you bring all this together through the styling of this cover shoot?

Cheryn Moore: Sportswear has definitely merged with streetwear, right? I wanted to show that sportswear can be elevated to an editorial level. That's how me and my friends dress anyway. I also used my community to make sure I had enough pieces to dress everyone: I pulled from my friend’s vintage store, Drugstore, my other friend’s personal closet and local businesses like Lucid.fc and Todd Patrick.

Talk me through how the final cover image looks came to life...

Cheryn Moore: First of all, I love layering. I love getting weird with layers and silhouettes. Me and my assistant Saschelle King had worked super hard prepping, gathering a bunch of Nike from all over the city. I sent over the initial outfit pics to Ant, and his response was lukewarm. I was like, ‘Should I go harder?’ And he was like, ‘Absolutely go harder. I didn’t hire you to play it safe; get so weird that they say something to us about it.’ We tweaked them a little, but ultimately, I decided not to make a final decision until Bijan tried everything on. And honestly? Half of the looks didn’t even work out. Thank god I had options. I made a game-time decision and merged two ‘pre-planned’ outfits into one.

Looking back on that shoot day, what was your favourite part? 

Cheryn Moore: The reaction from the crew to Bijan’s outfit: some yelled out and clapped. I’ve never had that reaction before, but it was validating. Watching the skaters do all the cool tricks was so fun; they’re crazy. They’d all line up single file, with their legs open, and one of the skaters would slide through their legs on his back. Also, eating good food after we wrapped. 

What does it mean to you to represent Atlanta? 

Cheryn Moore: Representing Atlanta means honouring the creative scene, cultural depth and unapologetic individuality that makes this city so special. Atlanta has such a unique sense of style that you can't find anywhere else, so I feel like I carry that spirit into every project I touch – whether it's reimagining silhouettes, upcycling vintage and secondhand pieces, or building stories and characters through clothes.

Do you have any tips or tricks for styling the new Nike Dn8 shoes? 

Cheryn Moore: Personally, I like to pair baggier or wide-leg pants with the Dn8. But those shoes feel futuristic, and the silhouette also offers a lot of depth and dimension where you can implement a lot of layering and textures. It'll complement every time. Go crazy.